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The First Poet Laureate

The First Poet Laureate image
Parent Issue
Day
8
Month
July
Year
1898
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Poet-laureate means "the poet of the laurel wreath." It was customary In the early days of Greece to crown with the laurel wreath the succeseful poet in a contest. But the title of "poet-laureate" origlnated in Germany In the twelfth century. Henry V. crowned hls historian poet-laureate, nd Frederick I., the monk Gunther, who had celebrated his deeds in verse; but no great importance was attached to the title until the orowning of Petrarch with great state in Rome in 1341. The office in England is now an honorary gift of the sovereign, with emolument amounting to L127 annually. When Southey was raised to poetlaureate, a rival poet wrote: "In merry old England it once was the rule, The king had his poet and also his fooi; But now we're so frugal, I'd have you to know it, Bob Southey must serve both for fooi and for poet."

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Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News